Day: December 14, 2010

What makes the difference between a person who is winning the sales game and a person who is losing the sales game?

You can look at a sales team and you will find winners and those that are struggling to make sales. It really causes you to think as to why that is so. They both have the same products and services, same marketplace, same everything except one succeeds and one doesn’t!

One might say that one is more trained than the other one. That could be true, but I have often seen where the exact same training is done for two people and one succeeds and one doesn’t.

Perhaps we always want to look for something that is outside of the sales people themselves as the reason one is successful and the other isn’t. When in fact what really makes the difference is what’s on the inside.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say that a salesperson is not succeeding because they need training. The winning sales person would go out and get the training they need to be successful. The losing sales person would say “I only get training when my company pays for it.” In other words, the losing sales person is not willing to invest in themselves.

All of the actions or lack of actions of a losing sales person come from within. Now it could be that the losing sales person just doesn’t like selling. If that is the case they should get out of the sales game and go find something else to do.

By the way, the fact that the losing sales person is still in the sales game, and they don’t like the sales game, is further evidence of what’s going on with them on the inside.

To be successful in sales or really anything else you have to have what I call Winning Posture. Winning Posture has three components that put you in a position to win at anything. Notice I said put you in a position to win.

You won’t win every time. Nobody does that. However, when you have Winning Posture you will win more than you lose.

What are the three components of Winning Posture? They are: Mindset, Skills, and Values.

Mindset has to do with the attitudes you have. Having the right mindset about you, your company, your products and services are a foundation for good sales results. If you don’t have the right mindset, others will pick up on that and not want to do business with you. Having the right mindset attracts business to you.

Of course you have to have skills. In selling, you never will fully develop all of your potential. There will always be something to work on or something to improve upon. The key is to always be moving and advancing your sales skills. Reading, seminars, coaching, and practice are all part of continuing to develop your skills. Incorporate all of these aspects in your development plan.

Lastly you need to have values. Values are the rules by which you play the game. You want to have a well defined set of values that will attract people to you. Such things as integrity, bringing value, placing your prospects needs first are just a few of the pieces that could make up your value system.

Take time to actually write out your values. This will help you to crystallize them in your everyday life. Remember the old saying: “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

The difference between winning and losing comes from within. If you are not Winning the Sales Game, look at you. See what is your mindset, your skills, and your values. After an insightfully straight examination you can see what’s missing and put it in.